Countdown
by Deathangel113
Summary: Step by step, minute by minute one slowly descends until one question is all that remains. What is real and what is a lie?
1. Symptom One: Hallucination

**Summary: Step by step, minute by minute one slowly descends until one question is all that remains. What is real and what is a lie?**

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I hold neither ownership nor affiliation to it.**

**Story Content Warning: Alternate Universe and language.**

_Author's Note: This is a response to the challenge "12 Signs of Insanity" by DamnBlackHeart on Lunescence Archives._

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Symptom One: Hallucination

The shadow dragon had her, his Kagome, in its jaws. The creature had swept down and snatched her away from his side. There had been a terrible crunching noise when it bit down, breaking her bones.

"I-Inu... yasha." Blood bubbled upon her lip as she gasped his name. She gazed at him with brown orbs that were glazing over; fear, pain, and death reflected in their depths. Her body jerked as the jaws that held her closed again, blood staining her mouth and flowing down her face.

"Kagome!" His grip on Tetsaiga tightened and he raised the blade above his head. Behind him he heard the twang of a bow and an arrow sped by his face, burying itself into the beast's forehead.

"Inuyasha!"

He turned and stared at the sight of Kagome standing before him.

She released a gasp when she found herself crushed to the hanyou's chest. "Inuyasha?" He said nothing. She felt his hands moving down her body, prodding her as if he were searching for some injury. "Inuyasha?" He was still silent and she found herself then held out at arm's length, his amber gaze sweeping down her form. "Inuyasha, I'm all right," she snapped. His gaze met hers and she gave him an apologetic look. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He released her, turning back to the remains of the dragon. _What just happened?_


	2. Symptom Two: Suspicious Mood

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I hold neither ownership nor affiliation to it.**

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Symptom Two: Suspicious Mood

"I do not understand why the shadow dragon would be here. I thought that they resided in the Underworld."

"They are supposed to be. It is strange that they would ascend to our realm."

Sango glanced at Miroku. "Houshi, why do you think that they're coming here?"

"I'm not sure. There could be a variety of reasons."

Inuyasha listened to Miroku and Sango as they spoke quietly with one another. He heard his name and glanced down at them from where he sat in one of the surrounding trees' branches. It was strange that they had started talking after he had "gone" and after Kagome and Shippo had fallen asleep. His eyes narrowed. Now that he thought about it, they did not seem too surprised when the shadow dragon had come. Kagome would chastise him if she knew his current thoughts. His suspicions in the past had never been wrong and he doubted that the ones he had now formed were either.


	3. Symptom Three: Paranoid

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I hold neither ownership nor affiliation to it.**

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Symptom Three: Paranoid

They were always talking about the shadow dragon now. It seemed that despite their midnight conversations that neither the demon slayer nor the monk could figure out how it had escaped hell. The new topic was not the only thing that had changed.

Since the day of the battle he had felt a change come over him. He was not sure exactly what it was. It was almost as if there were something watching him. The slightest noise and his hand would go to the hilt of his blade. His gaze constantly darted to the surrounding area, expecting youkai to appear at any moment. He was on edge, feeling again like a child.

When Shippo leapt to his shoulder and he had thrown the young kitsune to the ground, drawing Tetsaiga and holding the blade to his neck. He could only think of it as a justified response to an attack.


	4. Symptom Four: Emotional Liability

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I hold neither ownership nor affiliation to it.**

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Symptom Four: Emotional Liability

The weight of her gaze was like knives in his back. He felt his body tensing as he became increasingly agitated. "What do you want?" He heard her footsteps, which sounded hesitant. Moments later she knelt down beside her.

"Inuyasha... What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he snapped. His ears flattened against his head when, from the corner of his eye, he saw her flinch. "Sorry," he muttered. "I didn't mean to..."

"It's all right."

"Is Shippo all right?"

His question caused her to look at him, her eyes wide. He had sounded pathetic, remorseful. "H-He's fine, Inuyasha." She leaned forward so that she could see his face better. "Are you okay?" He seemed to shrink down, seeming to be very sad. "Inuyasha?"

"I..." Her hand closed on his shoulder. His eyes narrowed and her shook her hand off. "I'm fine," he snarled. She flinched, but he ignored it. Rising to his feet, he stalked away from her.

"Inuyasha!"


	5. Symptom Five: Denial

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I hold neither ownership nor affiliation to it.**

**Warning: Strong language.**

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Symptom Five: Denial

"There's something wrong with Inuyasha. Kagome, has he said anything?"

She shook her head, drawing her knees up to her chest. "He's been acting so strange lately. I think that he was going to tell me something earlier, but then he just got angry."

Sango gave the miko a sympathetic look before turning her gaze to Miroku. "What do you think, Miroku?"

"I'm not sure. I would have to talk to him and hope that he will explain to me what is going on."

~ * ~ * ~

They were talking about him again. It was frustrating, listening to them.

_"He's becoming more aggressive. If this continues, then there won't be anything that we can do."_

_"It would be simpler if he were more compliant."_

His ears flattened against his head. It did nothing to silence Miroku's and Sango's voices. The two were always talking. They would never leave him alone, even when he was away from them.

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"He might talk to you, Miroku."

"That he may, but there is no guarantee that he will."

"Will you shut up?" Three pairs of startled eyes turned to him. "There's nothing wrong with me so stop fucking talking about it," he growled.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said, raising his hand as if to silence him. "We are merely concerned. We think that..."

"Can't you fucking listen? I said that there's nothing wrong."


	6. Symptom Six: Depression

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I hold neither ownership nor affiliation to it.**

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Symptom Six: Depression

She was gone. She had abandoned him for her own time and with her leaving they had gone too. He had known not to trust others. They would always leave because of what he was, because of who he was.

_"You do not deserve to live."_

_"You filthy half-breed!"_

His ears flattened against his head. He lowered his gaze, listening to the shifting branches of the Goshinboku rather then the voices that reminded him of his worthlessness, reminding him that he would always be alone. He sunk lower and he pulled one knee up to his chest.

_"You shouldn't exist."_


	7. Symptom Seven: Disinterest

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I hold neither ownership nor affiliation to it.**

**Warning: Strong language.**

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Symptom Seven: Disinterest

"I believe that I have found the reason for the shadow dragon entered our realm. It seems that a powerful dark miko has risen."

"But how could a dark miko do that, Miroku?" Shippo questioned.

"There are some mortals, Shippo, who possess the power to summon powerful youkai. Remember Tsubaki?"

"Of course I do." Shippo be a disgusted face with the memory that came with the mention of her name.

"Do we know where this miko is?"

"I'm afraid not my dear, Sango. There have only been brief sightings of her. When Lady Kagome returns we should go in search of her. We cannot risk her summoning another shadow dragon. Don't you agree, Inuyasha?" He received no answer and he looked at his friend. "Inuyasha."

"Yeh, I guess," he said, finally looking at Miroku. "It'll probably be pointless though. She probably won't have enough power to complete a second summoning."

Miroku gave him a startled look. "Inuyasha, surely you're not suggesting..."

"I am and I'm not you stupid monk," he snapped. "There's no guarantee either way."

"Inuyasha..."

"Will you fucking shut up!"


	8. Symptom Eight: Sleep Deprivation

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I hold neither ownership nor affiliation to it.**

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Symptom Eight: Sleep Deprivation

There were dark bags under his golden eyes. He stared in frustration at Kaede's hut where the old miko and his companions slept. Normally, he could rest. In his territory it was mostly safe for him to close his eyes and be lulled to sleep. Normally, that was what would happen. The eight days that had passed since Kagome had returned home he had not slept. Countless time he had tried only to fail.

Sleep was impossible. The voices, Sango's and Miroku's voices, would whisper in his ears. The would talk about his condition, how he was losing himself. They would say that there was no hope, that he was a lost cause.

"They don't know what they're talking about." He pulled his knees up to his chest. Resting his forehead against his knees, he pressed his ears as flat against his head as he could.

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"Kagome's back."

Inuyasha followed Shippo as the kitsune ran towards the well. Kagome's yellow book bag leaned against the wood. She was no where in sight. A hand grasped the edge of the well. He walked over and held out his hand to help her out. When she took his hand, he looked down at her. He immediately released her hand, jumping back at the sight of the bloody corpse that looked up at him from the bottom of the well.

"Inuyasha!"

The corpse vanished. He stared down at Kagome and offered her his hand again. Pulling her out of the well, he quickly released her hand. _What happened?_

"Inuyasha." He turned to face her after she put her hand on his shoulder. Taking a step closer to him she examined his face, her gaze lingering on the dark circles under his eyes. He looked haunted. "Have you been sleeping, Inuyasha?"

He frowned and looked away from her. "What does it matter to you?"


	9. Symptom Nine: Delusions

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I hold neither ownership nor affiliation to it.**

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Symptom Nine: Delusions

_"He needs to be isolated. He's a danger to himself and others."_

_"He attacked all those people. We can't let that happen again. It's our job to keep him under control."_

_"Inuyasha's a monster."_

They wouldn't shut up. The wouldn't stop. The moment that he turned his back they would start to plot against him. He knew that he should have never allowed Miroku to join them. Something about the monk told him that he could not be trusted. Sango, he had thought that he had made a better choice in trusting her. It seemed, though, that he hadn't. When he glanced at the two they stopped talking. His gaze lingered on them, hate and distrust burning within the amber depths. Turning away, he bristled when he heard them start talking again.

_They won't take me down. They won't fucking kill me. I'll kill them first._


	10. Symptom Ten: Aggression

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I hold neither ownership nor affiliation to it.**

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Symptom Ten: Aggression

The shadow dragon circled in the sky. It was out of the reach of any attack, but close enough to attack those battling the dark miko below.

"You are all truly pathetic."

Kagome frowned and notched an arrow in her bow. She was frustrated, frightened. With the assistance of the shadow dragon the dark miko had managed to deflect most of their attacks and had received no injury. Now she was beginning to summon another shadow dragon into this world. "Hit the mark," she cried as she released the arrow.

An amused smirk turned her lips. The arrow would not make it past her barrier. Her eyes widened when, rather than being stopped the moment that it struck the barrier, it passed through. She took a step back as the arrowhead buried itself in her chest. Her attention broken, the barrier dissolved.

"Windscar!"

The shadow dragon dove down from the sky to block the attack and to protect its summoner and, for a moment, master. The attempt was for naught as both dragon and woman were slain.

Miroku stepped forward and said a prayer to the two fallen. His prayer was interrupted when he was forced to jump out of the path of the blade arcing down at him.

"Inuyasha!"

"Stay back Kagome!"

He dodged Tetsaiga as the blade swung towards him again. "What are you doing, Inuyasha?" Sango drew his attention as she moved to aid him. "No Sango! Stay back!"

Inuyasha turned in the demon slayer's direction. "Wind Sc-"

"Sit!" Kagome remained where she stood. Her eyes were wide with horror after seeing what had happened and the realization of what had almost happened sunk in. _This isn't like him._ Her body shook. She was afraid. For the first time she was afraid of him.


	11. Symptom Eleven: Mania

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I hold neither ownership nor affiliation to it.**

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Symptom Eleven: Mania

Kagome stared off at the area where Inuyasha was. He was pacing the area muttering to himself. Beside her Miroku and Sango conversed with each other. She had heard several words- possessed, youkai blood, stress. All were explanations for what might have caused his earlier actions. She refused to believe it. None of it made sense. This was Inuyasha that they were talking about, her Inuyasha. There was always a reason behind his actions. He was never irrational.

"Perhaps we should... Kagome...?" Sango looked at her questioningly when she suddenly stood. "What are you doing? Kagome?" She moved to stop her as she started to walk towards Inuyasha, but a dark look from the woman stopped her.

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"They're planning something. I can't let them..."

"Inuyasha?"

He stopped speaking and turned quickly around to face Kagome. Stepping forward, he wrapped his arms tightly around her form. "I'm sorry, Kagome. I'm sorry." His words were spoken quickly and he petted her hair with each word. "I shouldn't have... I'm sorry."

She closed her eyes and grasped his shoulders. It seemed that he couldn't stop moving. His pacing had been replaced by him petting her hair. Under different circumstances she would have enjoyed this affection, but now now. "What's wrong Inuyasha?" He didn't answer her, merely continuing to whisper words that were spoken too quickly for her to understand. Her body tensed when he started to nuzzle her neck. "Inuyasha." She backed away immediately when he started to touch her in a more intimate manner.

Staring at her with what appeared to be sadness in his eyes, he then turned away from her after a brief moment. Again, he started to pace, continuing to mutter under his breath.

_Inuyasha..._


	12. Final Stage: Insanity

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I hold neither ownership nor affiliation to it.**

**Warning: Mild language.**

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Final Stage: Insanity

Heels clicked on tiled floors, echoing in the silent hall. She stopped at a double door and pressed a button. There was a buzzing noise on the other side. Shortly afterwards, the door opened.

"Ah, Miss Higurashi."

Kagome nodded, but said nothing. She wasn't sure if it was a good thing that her name was known here. The attendant had stepped aside so she passed through the doorway and flinched, just slightly, when the door closed behind her. For a short time she followed the attendant before a doctor came over to her. She took his hand when he offered it to her. "How is he?"

"I'll show you to him, Miss Higurashi."

His answer caused her to frown. It was never good when that was said. She could only wonder how bad things had gotten. The walk was short. It always was. She stopped before a door with a small window that was eye level to her.

"He has been sedated."

"What happened?"

"The two attendants that care for him, Miss Sango and Mister Miroku... I introduced you to them."

"Yes."

"He attacked them this morning. We were able to restrain him, but his aggression is becoming more volatile... His delusions are the same. He still believes that he is in the Feudal Era. The delusions are..."

She had stopped listening to him. Everything that he had said she had heard countless times before. She rested her hand on the door. _Inuyasha._ He was strapped to the bed. The expression on his face was terrifying. He looked as though he were in a death-like state. She closed her eyes. _Please... I know that you're still here._

"He keeps asking for you, but it's not safe for you to visit with him right now."

_I know._ It was her fault that he was here. She knew that. He had tried to save her... He had saved her, but the fire had killed all of the others. _If I had listened..._ Tears stung the corners of her eyes. Guilt had driven him here. _It's not your fault, Inuyasha._

"Miss Higurashi."

She opened her eyes and looked at the doctor. "Yes?"

"You are too close to the door."

"Huh?" She looked at her hand. "Oh... Sorry." Lowering her hand, she then took a step back. Her gaze returned to what she could see of him through the little window. His eyes were open now. "Inuyasha." As if hearing her he turned his head and she smiled when she met his gaze, when she saw him. The moment passed and his violet gaze turned away. A feral growl left his lips before he screamed.

"You bastard!" She was here. He needed to get to her. He needed to protect her. He... He struggled against the restraints, but they didn't give. "Kagome!"


End file.
